Chapter Description

In addition to viruses and worms, there are some other annoying programs and files out there that you need to protect your home network from. This chapter focuses on spam, cookies, spyware, and scams—what they are, how they work, and how to get rid of or at least control them.

From the Book

Pop-Ups

Pop-ups refer to windows that are displayed on your computer screen
for the purposes of advertising. Pop-ups occur when you browse certain websites.
Some websites are funded by selling advertising space, some of which decide to
hawk their wares by flooding your computer screen with clever ads.

How Pop-Ups Work

Pop-ups work using the same mechanism built in to web browsers, such as
Internet Explorer, to open a URL in a new window. Sometimes this can be a useful
function; for example,
http://www.weather.com may use
a pop-up window to display an urgent weather bulletin. But, in general, they are
an annoying waste of your time.

GEEK SQUAD

Our favorite pop-ups are the ones that insist your computer is vulnerable to
pop-up ads and try and sell you pop-up blocking software.

How to Get Rid of Pop-Ups

Just like spam and other scams, pop-ups get a response rate or else companies
would not use them any longer. So, first and foremost, stop clicking on them.
Your PC will not run faster, you will not win free money by clicking on the
monkey, and a pop-up IQ test is pretty ironic actually.

Second, get a pop-up blocker. Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1
(SP1) running under Windows XP SP2 now has a built-in pop-up blocker. Turn it on
by clicking Tools > Pop-Up Blocker in
Internet Explorer.

If you are not running this version of Windows or Internet Explorer, download
any number of free pop-up blockers and use it.